Queen Takes Pawn
by kitty-kat12
Summary: Blinded by anger and hurt, Tess commits an act so unforgivable it sends Michael and herself to Antar where they will have to survive a world alien to them as well as each other.
1. Queen Takes Pawn

**Story: **Queen Takes Pawn

**Chapter One: **Queen Takes Pawn

**Author: **kitty-kat12

**Pairing: **Michael/Tess

**Disclaimer:** _Roswell_ and its characters do not belong to me. Story is set after _Departure._

**Author's Notes: **I know a lot of people won't give this pairing a chance and are already discarding this into the trash pile of fics but hear me out. We've all written and/or read fics about Max/Tess or Kyle/Tess and Michael/Isabel or Michael/Maria and those are great. But seeing that Michael and Tess are one of the strongest and most difficult characters in _Roswell_ I want to explore the dynamics between the two of them. So, here goes.

**Summary: **In a different world, Michael is not in Antar, trying to survive a world _alien _to him and trying to tolerate the presence of a woman he considers a murderer.

In a different world, Tess is Queen and Max is by her side and she is _not_ babysitting a man she now considers a traitor all the while trying to keep herself and her unborn child alive in a world that no longer holds the torch for the Royal Four.

If only...

* * *

**Zero-Sum Game: A relationship in which a gain for one actor is equal to a loss for another.**

* * *

Tess watched the three of _them _with disdain as hurtful and angry words spilled out of her mouth, laced by venom and all the hatred she could muster. "And after I deliver this child to Khivar, I will have him send his army here, to all of you. I am going to enjoy watching him destroy everything you hold dear." 

Her words were fueled by the raw hurt she felt for being labelled Alex's murderer, for being the outcast and intruder and especially for Max choosing Liz over _her_, _his Queen, _time and time again. This was _their _betrayal, not hers.

"You are _nothing _but dirt beneath my feet." Tess hissed and suddenly Isabel lunged at her, screaming incomprehensible words, arms flailing at whichever direction as long as she got Tess. There were no bolts of energy, no power coming from the other woman's fingertips. _So incredibly human of her_, Tess thought derisively as she fought back.

Isabel wanted to hurt her physically, wanted her to know how wrong and cruel she was, how deeply she had _hurt them_. Tess, with nothing but ice in her veins, would not understand unless Isabel showed her through violence.

Max was trying to pull Isabel off of Tess when Michael, driven by instinct, stepped in between all of them and shoved Tess back. She staggered and fell, barely catching herself.

"Enough!" Max ordered as he dragged Isabel out of the granolith, screaming and kicking and hollering all kinds of threats.

Michael looked down at a disheveled Tess and pulled her up, yanking her by the arm forcefully but not enough to hurt her. "You deserve to die and go to hell for _what_ you are." He hissed as he turned his back on her and walked away.

"Better yet, you can come with me." Tess said as she reached over the ship's console and slammed her hand on a button, sealing the granolith doors shut before Michael could step out. The minute Tess did it she regretted it and she stared at Michael's back in astonishment, her hand hovering mere inches over the button.

"Oh my god, no." She gasped, barely an audible whisper. This was not the plan but they had treated her like dirt and she had been so angry and hurt, andrenaline still cursing through her veins like poison. She wanted them to feel_ it, _whichever one of them.

"What did you do?" Michael screamed, turning towards her. "Open the door!" Outside he could hear Max and Isabel screaming his name, their voices fading away as the granolith hummed and vibrated around them.

"I can't."

"Open the door, Tess, or I swear I will kill you!"

"I can't!" She screeched, refusing to back down.

"Which button did you press?" Michael demanded, pressing anything and everything on to console. He could feel the panic rising inside of him.

Tess pushed him away, protecting the machine as if it were her unborn child. "Stop it! You're going to get us killed."

"Isn't that what you want in the first place? Now open the damn door!"

Tess shook her head, looking almost defeated. "I can't, Michael." She said, her voice softening slightly. "The granolith has been reconfigured to start as soon as the doors shut. We -_ I_ - can't undo it or unlock the doors until the ship has reached its destination."

"Try." He hissed.

"This button in programmed to read our DNA so that any of us could fly the ship at any given time." Tess explained as she pressed her hand against it. Nothing happened. He looked at her in disbelief. "You try then." He did and still nothing happened. "This is a one way trip." She said, sounding almost apologetic.

Michael inhaled sharply, running shaky hands through his hair. This was not happening. This was impossible. He had a home, a life - not the greatest one - but still he had one. What was going to happen to him now? To Max? To Isabel? And Maria and everyone else? How were they going to survive? How were they going to explain his disappearance? Will he see them again?

What was Tess going to do when they get to Antar? How is _he_ going to survive? Questions and fears and doubts continued to flood his mind.

"I am going to make you pay, Tess. Someday, somehow, I am going to make you pay for all the destruction you have caused." He vowed as he began to pace rapidly. "You'll be sorry."

Tess glared back defiantly but widened the space between them nontheless, placing a protective hand over her swelling belly. _This is punishment enough_, Tess thought bitterly but refrained from voicing it out loud.

The granolith continued to hum and vibrate, louder and stronger this time until an alarm blared overhead.

"What's happening?" He demanded.

"We need to go into the stasis chambers." Tess replied as she turned and led him into another room. Michael followed reluctantly. "Our bodies will not survive the rest of the trip." She explained when she saw his hesitation. In the room stood four large, empty chambers, very much alike to the ones they came out of many years ago.

"How do I know this is not one of your -?"

"You don't." Tess snapped, blue eyes flaring in anger. "Either you follow my lead or die being the stubborn, hardheaded _boy_ that you are. Your choice."

Michael inhaled sharply, feeling like a caged animal. Nevertheless, he stepped into one of the chambers and pressed his back against the wall as did Tess. Gel like fluid began to form around their feet, rising by the second.

"Close your eyes and don't struggle. You'll be able to breathe." Tess instructed. "It will be just like before."

_No it won't. Nothing will ever be like before, _Michael thought sadly as everything faded into black.

* * *

**Author's Notes: **I'd like to hear some thoughts on this. I know that many of my readers are hardcore Rebel fans. So am I and I know that I have to justify why Michael and Tess should be paired together. And I will make them jump through hoops of fire. In later chapters, should I continue this depending on feedback, I will explain Tess' questionable actions regarding Alex and Max and the rest of the gang as well as what she just did to Michael. Tess is no saint and she will have to own up to her mistakes. 

I always liked a challenge. Please review and do be nice, guys.


	2. The Delicate Sound Of Thunder

**Story: **Queen Takes Pawn

**Chapter Two: **Delicate Sound of Thunder

**Author: **kitty-kat12

**Pairing: **Michael/Tess

**Disclaimer:** _Roswell_ and its characters do not belong to me. Story is set after _Departure._

**Author's Notes: **Thank you for all the reviews. I _love_ long reviews. They motivate me to write more and quicker.

The quote is from William Blake's _A Divine Image_.

**Summary: **In a different world, Michael is not in Antar, trying to survive a world _alien _to him and trying to tolerate the presence of a woman he considers a murderer.

In a different world, Tess is Queen and Max is by her side and she is _not_ babysitting a man she now considers a traitor all the while trying to keep herself and her unborn child alive in a world that no longer holds the torch for the Royal Four.

If only...

* * *

**Cruelty has a Human Heart**

**And Jealousy a Human Face**

**Terror, the Human Form Divine,**

**And Secrecy, the Human Dress.**

* * *

The ship had caught fire, blaze of blue-black energy spreading over the walls, flickering, eating through metal as if alive. Michael had woken from his stasis and had clawed his way out of the chamber, gasping and panting only to be greeted by the fire. There was no smoke, just blue and black and so much heat. 

He was trying to wake Tess to no avail and the fire was getting stronger, spreading faster around them.

"Tess, come on!" He yelled from outside her pod. _Nothing_. Her eyes remained shut and she continued to float peacefully in the safety of the alien liqiud. He searched for a button, a switch, _anything_ to open her chamber but there was nothing. The walls were unmarked. In an act of desperation he used his powers, hoping it would not kill her. The liqiud in the pod hardened, turning into a glass shield to protect its host.

"Damn it!" Michael yelled, growing frustrated. He looked around him and saw the exit just on his left and beyond that, possibly open air and safety.

Then it dawned on him that he had to leave her. He _had_ to or he was going to die.

A thousand thoughts ran through his head as he turned his back on Tess and headed for the door. _What about the baby? Can you live with yourself just letting it, letting them die?_ _Why aren't you trying harder? _

_There's nothing I can do. We will all die! She's a murderer. She deserves it. There's nothing you can do. _He justified as he continued to walk away from the room, dodging the flames around him. Michael was almost to the exit when he heard _it_. A soft thump. And then again. _Don't look. It's nothing._

But Michael turned and looked and saw that Tess had woken. She tore at the alien cocoon, fingers digging and clawing. Michael ran back to her and helped her, pulled her by the arms until she slipped out.

"Let's go." He said before she could say anything. They ran or rather _he_ ran, dragging a disoriented and remarkably silent Tess behind him, until Michael was sure they were a safe distance away from the ship.

"Stop." Tess finally spoke, breaking her hand free of his hold. Michael turned to face her. Tess was rubbing her wrist absently, looking as if there was something more she wanted to say to him. Behind her, he could still see their ship burning.

They stood in silence for a moment, taking in the endless expanse of the bone white desert. Above them, three small moons hung in the sky, one of them painted red. Michael watched, fascinated and scared at the same time.

"What now?" He asked apprehensively, shoving his hands into his pockets.

Tess inhaled sharply and then pursed her lips. "We have to find people." She firmly announced, beginning to walk.

Michael refused to move. "And then?"

"And then _what_?" Tess echoed, growing impatient. "Michael, in case you haven't noticed, there's _nothing_ around us. We have to keep walking. Any communication device we had is at the ship and the ship is burning!"

"When we find the people, what then, Tess?" Michael demanded. "What happens?"

"We'll be saved."

Michael scoffed. "You mean, _you'll_ be saved." He could already picture Khivar welcoming her with open arms and Tess betraying Michael like she planned.

Tess grew silent for a moment. Shisfting her weight from one foot to another, she crossed her arms in front of her and sighed. "Okay, when _I'm_ saved,_ I_ won't let anything happen to you. You will be under _my_ protection. Satisfied?"

"This is not the time to be sarcastic, Tess!" Michael hissed.

"Fine, whatever you say."

"You betray the people around you and you drag me into a mess I want nothing to do with because you are _so_ spiteful you just had to make someone suffer with you. Now, you expect me to trust you?" He asked, furious.

Tess scowled, shortened the gap between them in a few quick strides and stood face to face to Michael. "I do _not_ care what you think of me, Michael. The fact is I am all you have. You can hate me and not trust me all you want but you _don't_ have a choice." She retorted. "Now that we've discussed that, are you coming or not?"

Michael glowered at her and followed.

They walked in silence for what seemed like hours, Tess walking ahead and Michael lagging behind her, glaring at her back and thinking to himself how much he hated her.

Then Tess stopped abruptly and stared at the distance. Michael quickened his pace and caught up with her. "What?" He asked, his voice almost echoing in the emptiness around them.

"Those are mountains." She pointed at the grey-green mass protruding in the horizon. "We should be able to get there in a few hours or before the suns rise."

"What happens when the suns rise?"

"We rest." Tess explained. "Antar has three suns from what Nasedo taught me. I don't know how our bodies will react so we have to find shelter. And we can't be in the desert when the suns rise."

"Why?"

"Nasedo said that the white deserts on Antar are dangerous. White deserts like this." She said, spreading her arms. "He told me that when the suns rise, there is a chemical that fills the air, causing white deserts to turn to ice. Our kind is susceptible to that kind of harsh climate. We will not survive."

Michael listened, noting how odd it was when Tess referred to _their kind _and_ them _and_ us. _His kind had always just been Max and Isabel. He wondered how they were, how long it has been since Tess _kidnapped_ him.

"Do you know how much time has passed?" Michael asked, almost afraid of what her answer would be.

"No." Tess replied curtly, understanding _exactly_ what he meant. She shook her head; blonde, matted hair falling over her face. "Nasedo said travel from Earth to Antar takes a week. I don't know what a week is equal to in Earth days though."

Michael nodded, pensive. They may have been gone for months now, years even. Michael's chest tightened as he thought of what could have happened to his family, his friends by now.

They continued to walk silently, Michael lost in his thoughts and Tess in hers. She placed one hand over her swelling belly, her eyes fixed on the mountains ahead of them. Tess knew that if she could find people, they would know who she was and everything would fall into place.

She was sure of it.

* * *

**Author's Notes:** I wanted to focus this chapter on Michael because I realized that he has to deal with this new reality he's in. Like Tess, Michael has to face who he is and his actions, especially the ones regarding this situation that Tess forced him into. There are two realities in this story. Realities being those of Michael and Tess. Michael sees things differently from Tess and vice versa and their actions are motivated by different things. 

Eventually their realities will merge and they will be forced to deal with what they think they know and what they have to do and become to survive.

Please review!


	3. The Once And Future Queen

**Story: **Queen Takes Pawn

**Chapter Three: **The Once and Future Queen

**Author: **kitty-kat12

**Pairing: **Michael/Tess

**Disclaimer:** _Roswell_ and its characters do not belong to me. Story is set after _Departure._

**Author's Notes: **I apologize for the hiatus.

The quote is from Duncan Campbell Scott's _The Onondaga Madonna_.

**Summary: **In a different world, Michael is not in Antar, trying to survive a world _alien _to him and trying to tolerate the presence of a woman he considers a murderer.

In a different world, Tess is Queen and Max is by her side and she is _not_ babysitting a man she now considers a traitor all the while trying to keep herself and her unborn child alive in a world that no longer holds the torch for the Royal Four.

If only...

* * *

**She stands full-throated and with careless pose,**

****

This woman of a weird and waning race,

The tragic savage lurking in her face,

Where all her pagan passion burns and glows;

Her blood is mingled with her ancient foes,

And thrills with war and wildness in her veins;

Her rebel lips are dabbled with the stains

Of feuds and forays and her father's woes.

* * *

Antar had not welcomed them with open arms. The jungle had taken them first, swallowing them whole and alive. It ate at their flesh and bones, and it spat them out when there was nothing left but skeletons of themselves.

Then the city _took_ them. Took their souls and whatever was left of them that the jungle had not stolen already.

Hell had a new name: Border City 33.

As Tess stood where the surf met the shore, the blue-green sea swelling and ebbing in front of her, she reminded herself it has been almost a year since the city, closer to two if she counted the time in the jungle.

_Time in between_. Tess thought somberly. In between what, she was not sure exactly.

Everything had changed. Everything was different and nothing was what she had planned for. Michael was no longer with her. "I'll find you in the jungle." She had told him. She wondered if he waited for her at all.

_No one_ was with her now.

"Walk with me." _He_ said, disrupting her thoughts. Tess tentatively took the arm that was offered. "You seem tense, Majesty." He taunted her, grinning widely. Tess eyed him warily, eyes narrowing slightly. She refrained from replying.

He chuckled, shaking his head as if amused by her determination to remain unaffected. "Did you know that in the ancient tomes hidden in the catacombs beneath the old palace ruins, there is one particular scroll that speaks about how Antar came to be? It is said that a star fell from the sky and with it a girl. She fell by the Ice Mountains in the South and the Cur found her. They worshipped her."

"Cur?"

"The warrior race of the South." He explained, pleased to have caught her interest. "Legend says that the King of the North wanted to harness the power of the star. It was believed that he who destroyed it would possess its power. So he searched for the star but the found the girl instead. She possessed all that unbidden power. Legend has it that the King fell in love with the girl and could not kill her."

Tess watched him as he told the story and saw things that she wished never to see in _him_, this man, her _enemy_. Enemy of her people and all that she believed was true.

"And what _exactly_ is your point?" Tess interjected shaking the thought away.

"The _point_ is this - that is how Antar came to be ruled by both North and South. _That_ is law and it will _never_ change." He explained. "Zan was a Northerner. He came from a line of royals that have long ruled the planet. You were from the South. Cur blood. _Warrior_. Your child would have-"

"Stop!" Tess hissed, furious. She yanked her arm back violently. Everything was spinning. "How dare you? Do _not_ speak of my child. I will _not_ listen to you. You are my enemy. You have brought this planet to ruins."

"Ruins? _What_ ruins?" He scoffed, indignant.

"You have created a race of degenerate racist people! The planet is divided. We are at war with each other. The Royal City and all its _glory_ is a _lie. _The planet is crumbling as we speak."

"Then do something about it!" He was challenging her.

"I _have _been doing something about it! Do not speak to me as if I have not _dedicated_ my entire existence to the safety of this planet!" Tess shrieked. "Do not speak to me of peace and unity as if you know of such things. You are a murderer and you are destroying our people!"

He took a quick stride towards her and wrapped his hand tightly on her arm. "If you so strongly disagree of my methods, your Highness, then show me how I should _modify_ them."

"I will _not_ stand by your side, Khivar! I will not marry you." Tess hollored. She was tired of this conversation, of the constant change from being his prisoner to his potential bride. "I would rather die than consort with the enemy."

"Then rot away the remainder of your life and _die._" He retorted. "Do not forget, _your Highness,_ that the people will never allow you to be their sovereign. You are a Southerner and although there is still a great number of your people, this is a planet of Northerners. Worst of all, you are _polluted_ by human blood. You possess no rights and you are considered a criminal. You have no leverage."

"_You_ created this law! You stripped us of our rights!"

"You have been there, Ava! You have seen what they can do to you, to halfbreeds." Khivar reminded her quickly. Tess grew silent, remembering. "You can't create change where you stand. Law or not, the people will not accept you. The only reason you were spared is because you bear the prophesized signs." He said, touching the spot on her back where the symbols emerged. Tess jerked away. "Who would have known that the prophecy would be inscribed on skin, hmm?"

"These symbols on my back have more power than you, Khivar. You can not deny me my right as ruler, halfbreed or not."

"And I will not deny you that right. But the majority will not follow you, if any. As I said, you are a Southerner and a halfbreed. In their eyes you are so far removed from the throne you might as well not be an incarnation of the late Queen. You need me if you want to gain access and power."

"I don't need anyone."

"So you say." Khivar replied sarcastically. "Don't be stupid, Ava. That is such a _human_ trait. Don't play martyr. It is unbecoming. The union between us would be seen as a treaty. The North and the South will be united once again. The war will end. The planet will be whole again and the people will accept you."

"Now who's being stupid? The war will never end. People who believe in your cause and those who believe in mine will always be at war. It has been ingrained into their ideals so long that they do not understand anything else. Do you honestly believe that Resistance fighters will just lay down their weapons and be at peace with _your _army?"

"Once our child is born-"

"I will not marry you or bear your children. You are not the rightful king."

Khivar laughed. "And tell me, Ava, where exactly is the _rightful king_? Is he here? Or is he with his human girl?" Khivar looked around as if searchig for Max. He was mocking her. "He is not coming for you. He is content being a human boy. I am giving you until tomorrow to make your final decision. If you choose not to go through with this then I will make arrangements for you to live elsewhere. You will be comfortable but you will _never_ be Queen."

He left her there by the ocean, her watchmen several feet away, staring straight ahead and silent. They would wait for her until she was ready to return inside the palace walls. They would not speak to her as usual.

Tess glowered at them before returning her attention to the ocean. She was suddenly uncertain and uneasy. As much as she hated Khivar, he had told her many truths.

Tess sighed and wondered what Michael would say.

* * *

**A/N:** There are a few things that I want to make note on in this chapter. First, the dynamics between the characters has changed. Keep in mind that it has been approximately two years since Tess and Michael came into the planet. Second, I did not want to characterize Khivar as a complete monster to the point that he is an unworkable character. He is a villian but he is here to serve a purpose for Tess' character. Third, Michael and the events that occured within the missing two years will be shown soon. This is afterall a Tess/Michael pairing.

Lastly, this story will now focus on character change and evolution, whether or not they are good. It's also about relationships and its varying degrees.

I appreciate all your patience.

P.S. _Cur_ is pronounced _Coor._


	4. The Shade of Poison Trees

**Story: **Queen Takes Pawn

**Chapter Four: **The Shade of Poison Trees

**Author: **kitty-kat12

**Pairing: **Michael/Tess

**Disclaimer:** _Roswell_ and its characters do not belong to me. Story is set after _Departure._ The quote is by Marie Louise De La Ramee. The title is from a song by Dashboard Confessionals.

**Warning: **The chapter is heavy on Khivar and Tess.

**Summary: **In a different world, Michael is not in Antar, trying to survive a world _alien _to him and trying to tolerate the presence of a woman he considers a murderer.

In a different world, Tess is Queen and Max is by her side and she is _not_ babysitting a man she now considers a traitor all the while trying to keep herself and her unborn child alive in a world that no longer holds the torch for the Royal Four.

If only...

* * *

**"Take hope from the heart of man, and you make him a beast of prey."**

* * *

She sat cross-legged on the bed, her bare back towards him. His fingers traced the runes on her skin as he whispered the ancient words in the darkness of their room. As far as he was concerned, those words were _his_ now. His prophecy and soon his legacy. She never bothered to correct him. Absently, she wondered when everything had changed and the fine line between black and white faded, and the shades of grey appeared. She wondered when she had learned to stop flinching at his touch and reveled in moments like this. When had everything between them become so _familiar_?

Sometimes, in times like this, when her skin still burns from when Khivar has touched her, Tess sees Max. There is so much disappointment in his face, so much hurt that all the guilt consumes her and her thoughts become so loud Khivar can hear them. Those times, Khivar is both pleased and angry with her. Then Tess remembers that she is the one here, fighting for their planet and their cause. This was _his_ betrayal, not hers.

Other times, she does not see Max at all. Instead, she falls asleep in the arms of the man she has sworn will remain her enemy until her dying breath and she dreams of water. In her dreams she drowned, over and over again and so very violently. Sometimes, Michael is there, with _that_ look in his eyes and he drowned too. Other times, Tess dreamt she died in the jungle with all the trees wet around her. And Michael is there again with _that _child in his arms, howling for her, howling at him. Blaming both of them.

"I will be leaving in a few hours." She announced and his hand froze mid-air before dropping down to his side, leaving her back abandoned.

The air suddenly thickened.

"Very well."

Tess could hear the irritation in his voice. His patience was waning and she knew that it would only be a matter of time before he forbade her from returning to the city and continuing her search. "When I find Michael, I will be yours and everything will be as we agreed."

Khivar chuckled wryly. "You're already _mine_, your Highness."

She glared at him. "You know what I mean."

"Ava, what makes you think he is still alive?"

"We've been through this."

"What makes you think he somehow managed to survive that forsaken city?" Khivar persisted. "And if by some luck, he did survive, what makes you believe he wants _you_ to find him?" He asked knowingly. She hated that he _knew_, that there was no divide between them now. Everything overlapped, everything was intertwined so dangerously. Her link to the _others_ was deteriorating quickly, ever since the Bonding Ritual.

Soon, Tess would no longer be able to sense Michael's presence. Khivar refused to believe of any such link.

"Michael is _my_ responsibility. I brought him here."

"Very touching. Just make sure you get rid of him as soon as you find him."

Tess' eyes narrowed dangerously. "Just follow the plan Khivar or neither of us will rule and the planet will fall in the hands of the Council." With that said, she rose and left his side.

* * *

The first time Tess' ship crashed, she had not felt it. Instead, she had woken to fire and burning metal and Michael walking away from her, condemning her to death. This time around, everything was different.

She was thrown across the cargo bay as the ship went into a tailspin. Bodies and boxes flew all around her, crashing and colliding with each other. Tess was slammed against one of the cargo containers, the wind knocked out of her.

"Your Majesty!" Zaur, one of her trusted men, screamed as he scrambled towards her. "Something has struck the ship and perforated the hull. We _must_ evacuate!"

Tess could not hear him. The transceiver in their suits had jammed.

Then Zaur was suddenly gone and something heavy was on top of her, pinning her down and crushing her ribs. The face shield in her armor cracked just as everything around her exploded.

Then there was nothing but darkness and the cold, and Tess wondered if this was what it was like to die all over again.

* * *

She felt the weight of a hand on her face when she came to. "She's lost a lot of blood." Someone close by whispered. Tess strained to make sense of her surroundings. Everything was hazy and her head felt heavy.

"Where am I?" She croaked, disoriented. She blinked and saw three blurry silhouettes of people in the room.

No one answered.

"She's stable for now but there's not much we can do for her if she takes a turn for the worse." The owner of the hand declared. He was touching her face again. "She needs a healer." Tess struggled to move.

"Stay still." Another ordered. The voice was harsher this time, cutting through the thin air. Tess stiffened.

"What shall we do? She's _Her_. They will be searching for her." A third asked from somewhere in the room. Tess blinked rapidly, willing her vision to clear.

"Not if they think she's dead." _The_ voice replied and Tess froze. _Oh, no!_ She thought, panic rising in her throat. "Leave." _He_ ordered and she could hear the sound of feet shuffling, fading away as everyone left the room.

One of them stayed behind and Tess strained to see his face. "Who are you?" She whispered groggily. Struggling against the chain around her right wrist, Tess sat up and suddenly became acutely aware of the enormous amount of pain her body was in. "What do you want? If you want to kill me, you better...do it soon because they... _will_ be looking." She was struggling to breathe, her chest aching as she spoke.

"Stop, you're going to hurt yourself even more."

"They will kill you." She wheezed, ignoring him. Suddenly he was approaching her and Tess inched away, her back pressed against the wall. She struggled to raise her force field. The shield failed and the stranger walked right up to her and cupped her face.

"This will only hurt a little." He whispered, his breath warm against her cheek. He put something in Tess' eyes and everything stung. She screamed. "Stop struggling. Look at me! Look at me! Damn it, Tess, _look_ at me!" Tess halted. No one ever called her by that name. Not since the city. "Open your eyes." He instucted.

Tess blinked and opened her eyes slowly. The blurry image of the face in front of her clarified and suddenly she was staring into Michael's eyes. "Oh, my god." She gasped as he released her face and took a step back.

* * *

**A/****N:** This chapter serves as a foundation for the conflict between Michael and Khivar. I'm _not_ saying that there will be a love triangle triangle. I'm not saying that there won't be one. Also, I know it's cruel to end the chapter this way but I want to write a chapter focused on Michael and Tess.

Thank you to everyone who reviewed and are still patiently waiting for my updates.


	5. The Color Of Old Bruises

**Story: **Queen Takes Pawn

**Chapter Five: **The Color Of Old Bruises

**Author: **kitty-kat12

**Pairing: **Michael/Tess

**Disclaimer:** _Roswell_ and its characters do not belong to me. Story is set after _Departure._ The quote is from _Invictus_ by William Ernest Henley.

**Author's Notes: **Sorry guys but I had to pull the original of this chapter and rewrite it. There needed to be more Michael and Tess interaction.

Moving on.

Almost 3 years have passed since Tess and Michael left Earth. They spent almost a year of that apart. They should both be _almost,_ if not already, 20 years old.

This chapter is from Michael's perspective, if you can call it that.

**Summary: **In a different world, Michael is not in Antar, trying to survive a world _alien _to him and trying to tolerate the presence of a woman he considers a murderer.

In a different world, Tess is Queen and Max is by her side and she is _not_ babysitting a man she now considers a traitor all the while trying to keep herself and her unborn child alive in a world that no longer holds the torch for the Royal Four.

If only...

* * *

Out of the night that covers me,

Black as the Pit from pole to pole,

I thank whatever gods may be

For my unconquerable soul

* * *

In the city, there was sand everywhere. Sand on their skin and clothes, in their eyes and their food. And there was always sand in Tess' hair no matter how often and how hard she tried to shake it out. Michael hadn't realized how long her hair had been then and how disheveled it was. Strands of gold poked out everywhere, falling over her face and clinging to _his_ clothes.

Michael wondered how he forgot it. Her hair.

Everything that happened to them had stayed with him, gnawing at his insides so much he rarely slept now. He could clearly recall the jungle and all the tears wept there, and all the things in the city that should have been said but weren't.

He remembered her face and how small she always seemed standing next to him. And how she always felt cold even on the hottest days.

It _all_ stayed with him.

All but Tess' hair. It had grown so long in all the time they spent in the jungle and the city.

Michael used to touch it. On nights when the others looked at Tess with a hunger that made Michael's insides twist, she sat close to him. And he played with her hair, gently pulling at the ends until Tess fell asleep from the repetitive motion.

But Tess wore it straight now, glossy strands of blonde hair falling perfectly on the sides of her face. Shorter too, just resting right below her shoulders.

Michael decided he hated it.

"Michael?" She breathed his name and the room suddenly felt very small.

He snapped out of his reverie and looked directly at Tess. There was a desperation and sadness in her eyes that Michael hadn't anticipated. In all the times he thought of seeing her again, Michael had expected her to react rather _violently_. After all, he was the one who did not come back for her. At least not until it was too late.

Tess said his name again, tentatively as if the very word could crumble the walls around them.

He had not spoken for a long time.

"Tess." He did not know what else to say.

Her brow furrowed. "How? Are you...are you...?" She trailed off, at a loss for words. Confusion flashed across her face as she tried to make sense of everything around her, of him.

Michael cleared his throat. "Your ship crashed. You were found by the river, a mile from here. You're still hurt."

"Where am I?" Tess whispered.

"Somewhere safe."

"What happened to our ship? Where are my men?"

"Dead. Some escaped on emergency pods, I guess. We only found you. You were thrown away from the others."

"Dead?" Tess looked horrified. She grew silent for a moment, digesting the information. She looked up at him again, frowning. "And you? Where did you come from? How did you find me? Where are we? Who are those people? Where have you _been_?"

Michael could see the tell-tale signs of panic. He had seen it before, when they were taken into Border City 33 and Tess realized that nothing was going to go according to how Nasedo had promised.

"Tess, stop! You're still hurt."

She wasn't listening anymore. "What is this?" She demanded, indicating at the chain around her wrist. "What's going _on_?"

In a few quick strides Michael crossed the room and sat next to Tess. "Stop." He ordered firmly, putting his hands on her shoulders.

Tess froze at his touch and stared at him, still panting and wheezing in pain. Michael could almost see something inside of Tess collapse as she looked at him, wide eyed and terrified. "Are you...real?" She whispered. She was almost pleading.

He felt her hand move and trace the scar above his left eye. That was _hers_. She had been the reason he was wounded there in the first place.

Michael nodded, removing his hands from her shoulders. It hurt to be this close to her. Still, he could not bring himself to move.

"I'm sorry." He said and the hole inside his chest widened just a little, the pain seeping out of him. _For everything. For the baby. For not coming back in time. I'm sorry this is a fucked up world. I'm sorry we can't undo any of it._

"I know." Tess closed her eyes, hot tears burning in the back of her eyelids.

"Did they hurt you?" Michael was almost afraid to ask.

Her expression darkened and she shook her head at him. "No, Michael. You're not allowed to go there."

"Tess, I have to know."

"Why? So you can feel much worse about what happened? We tried to escape and it didn't work out. That's all." She was trying to be flippant about it despite all the anguish Michael could feel radiating off of her.

"God, I thought you died. I heard they punished you in front of everyone-"

"Stop! Stop it, if not for you then for me. I don't want to talk about it. _This_ is what happens when you're in a war. People die and we all get hurt. There's more than enough pain and anger and blame to go around but we _don't_ talk about it." Tess argued. "We simply survive. I thought you'd learn that by now."

He looked at her. He _really_ looked at her and realized that in the year they spent in separation everything and nothing had changed. Tess _still_ refused to speak of the things that happened. He wondered how far she went to forget without undergoing an actual mind-warp. Michael was never one for sharing emotions but he knew eventually Tess _will_ snap and everything will fall apart again.

"War." He echoed. Michael rose, putting some space between them. He wondered if she still knew what that meant, what her mission was and if she was still fighting on the right side. "You're working with Khivar." He simply stated and from the expression on her face, he knew that Tess did not want to talk about _him_ just yet.

"That was _always_ the plan." She answered, recalling the confrontation with everyone before they left Earth. Tess sighed sharply, massaging her temples.

"He's the enemy. You _know_ that. You've seen what he's turned the planet into."

Tess looked at him sadly. "Michael, stop. Soon, none of this will matter. It's almost over."

At her words, Michael's chest tightened. "What do you mean? What are you talking about?"

"You can go home now."

* * *

**A/N:** Okay, so I really thought of this chapter and how Tess and Michael would react to each other after not seeing each other for a year. Keep in mind that a lot of things happened to them that only they are privy too for now. They spent approximately two years together enduring the most horrific things.

I'll try to incorporate the events in the jungle and the city without doing an actual flashback.

Well, hope you liked it.

Please review!


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